


Quartet

by MilayaMilenZeal



Series: Long Live the Queen [12]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Birthday Party!, Crossdressing, Gen, Post-Game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-01
Updated: 2017-03-01
Packaged: 2018-09-27 17:59:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10037357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MilayaMilenZeal/pseuds/MilayaMilenZeal
Summary: M.E. 783Iris has been warning Prompto about the day when Regina brings her friends over to have a sleepover, because, as girls, it would either be complete chaos or a mess of giggling, gossiping misfits. But leave it to 16-year-old Regina to prove Iris wrong once again…





	

Prompto’s always known that raising a girl as a single father was not an easy feat, especially when it comes to things that he, as a man, has no knowledge about. Even with the help of Iris, Cindy and Aranea, it’s not an easy feat to explain to a girl how she’s going to be so different from her only parent once she reaches her teen years. Dear Six… that was actually _really_ embarrassing…

Still, he’s very proud that he’s managed to make it to her 16th birthday with as little (real) difficulty as he has.

Which, coincidentally puts him in the current situation; said girl’s 16th birthday. While she certainly hasn’t asked for much, she _did_ want to have her friends come over to celebrate with her. Thankfully, the house is big enough for that, but it does leave Prompto a little worried about things. Of course, Gladio and Ignis will be there as well, and Iris has insisted on coming to be a mediator for the girls in the event that something goes wrong, though Prompto is _really_ hoping it’s not necessary.

Regina is busy setting up the table with Iris (by Ignis’ request), while Ignis is already busy in the kitchen, while himself and Gladio are moving some old furniture to the side of the room to give them some more room. They do make sure to inform Ignis where they put everything, of course. It’s only 10 in the morning, and Regina wasn’t happy about being woken at 6 (again!), but after her morning jog with Prompto, she’s been up and working alongside everyone eagerly despite her earlier grumpiness.

It isn’t until they’re busy working that Regina seems to remember that this will be the first time her friends actually meet each other properly, since, up until then, Regina’s only met with one of them at a time, either in Lestallum, the library or just outside of Lestallum. She actually seems a bit nervous about introducing the trio to each other, but she does her best not to show it, even if Prompto can tell from how she keeps biting the nail of her thumb, making him chuckle softly.

It’s 11:30, half an hour before they’re supposed to be there, when there’s a knock on the door. Regina immediately goes for the door, saying that that has to be Domi because he likes to be early. And sure enough, when the door opens, there’s Dominatio, smiling and waving with a smile on his face before Regina pulls him into a hug that’s happily returned and he’s finally shown inside. Prompto still can’t really get over the fact that one of Regina’s best “girl friends” is actually just a guy wearing a dress. That had been _really_ awkward when Regina actually had to point out to them all after Domi had left that first time that “she was a _he_ ”.

It had been pretty hilarious to see Gladio spluttering for words, though.

Still…

“Good morning, Mr. Argentum!” Domi greets him with a cheery wave and a kind smile, and even now, when he’s this close, he just can’t see Domi as anything other than a girl. For fuck’s sake, the guy’s even wearing makeup and has like the frilliest ( _pink!_ ) dress he’s ever seen anywhere! Plus, he walks on heels!

“Morning, Domi,” he says with a polite smile of his own, “but really; just call me Prompto. It’s fine, already.”

“Ah, but…”

“It’s fine, Domi,” Regina quips as she throws an arm across the pale-haired boy’s shoulders. They’re the same height, but Domi is currently a little taller because of his heels, so their shoulders are touching. “You don’t have to be so formal all the time, silly.”

“Well… okay, then… if you’re sure,” Domi says with a small giggle, even as he’s being guided to the living room (after taking off his shoes at the doorway). He greets Ignis and Gladio on the way, the latter of which is actually taking a step back before replying a little gruffly at him, which seems to confuse Domi, but Regina shrugs it off and tells him not to worry about it with a conspiratorial smirk.

Iris is already in the living room, and this is her first time actually meeting Domi, and she seems to automatically assume him to be a girl, given how she’s acting around him. She does seem very interested in Domi’s dress, and he merely giggles and answers Iris’ questions as best as he can, even twirling around once to show her the entire dress back to front.

And, of course, Iris is telling Regina that she should consider such a dress, but Regina immediately says “No!” before she can even finish the suggestion. Iris is pouting, but Domi is giggling and saying it’s fine; that “Regi looks far too handsome to be wasted on a dress!” before he hugs Regina and abruptly kisses her cheek and Iris splutters while Prompto is struggling not to laugh.

It’s pretty funny to see those two going at it; Regina is so tomboyish in both her dresscode and behavior, that she’s even had love confessions from various girls around Lestallum (much to her dismay), and Domi is so feminine he gets a lot of attention from the guys (which he’s always quick to refute from what Regina says). The two of them together like this actually makes a little bit of sense; a tomboyish girl and a girly boy? Yeah, sure, why not?

They spend the next half hour just chatting and looking at Domi’s sketchpad for a little, before he gets the request to sketch Iris. Which he does in about 10 minutes to get it _just_ right, and Iris is definitely impressed with his skill.

And at 12:00 sharp, there’s another knock on the door. And Regina laughs as she gets up and heads for the door, mumbling something about ‘being punctual as always’, which leads Prompto to believe it’s Libri on the other side. And sure enough, there’s Libby, prim and proper as she always is, with (of course) a book under her arm, though she’s also carrying a small bag with her, which is probably where she’s got her present for Regina.

“Good day,” she greets as she enters the room, and everyone returns the greeting calmly and politely.

And then it’s time for her to meet Domi, and the boy stnads up with a smile, smoothing out his skirt before he turns to Libby to greet her.

“Hello~” he chirps with a bright smile. “I’m Dominatio, but you can call me Domi if you want… Libby, was it?”

Libby is blinking rapidly at Domi’s appearance, and Prompto wonders absently if Regina actually informed the brunette that Domi was male and if that’s why she’s not responding immediately. After a few moments, though, Libby clears her throat and once more adjusts her spectacles, something she does whenever she’s nervous. “Ah, yes, that is correct.” She pauses then and quickly looks over Domi’s attire, her eyebrow twitching. “Um… nice dress.”

“Thank you~” Domi says with a giggle, either not noticing the stammer, or simply not caring about it enough. “I wasn’t sure if it’d look good at first… but I think it worked out fine. Right?”

“More than fine,” Regina laughs with a warm smile, clearly amused by Libby’s attempts to not go gaga over Domi. Because they all know that Libby’s a sucker for adorable things, big or small.

If Domi notices this, then he doesn’t show it; he just takes his seat again as Regina drops herself back on the couch, her arms across the back of it so that, if she slips it off, it will more than likely land on Domi’s shoulder. Libby wisely take one of the armchairs, though this doesn’t stop her from casting the occasional glance at Domi as they talk.

And then, at 12:15, another knock comes from the door, this one heavier than Libby’s or Domi’s. Regina smiles as she gets up and heads for the door. And as expected, when the door opens, Ternio is standing in the doorway, chugging water from a canteen, and sweating like a pig. She gives a grin and a wave to accompany her boisterous greeting, before she asks if she can borrow the washroom to change out of her sweat-soaked jeans and shirt.

“Maybe you should take a shower while you’re at it,” Regina points out, and she laughs as she ducks under the swipe aimed for her head, even though Terry is laughing as hard as she is. And in the end, she _does_ take Regina up on her offer and takes a quick shower to cool off from her jog over.

By 12:30, the four of them are lounging in the living room with their respective drinks, after Terry introduced herself to the other two. Domi seems to be particularly interested in Terry’s prosthetic leg, asking this and that about it, which Terry has no problems answering. Libby has her own questions for Terry, but she asks them with such a serious expression, that Terry can’t help but poke a little fun at the other girl.

Prompto decides they need to intervene then before a fight breaks out, so he and the others finally join them to chat. Regina doesn’t mind; in fact, she wanted them to be there, because they’d always been until then, so why not now?

After almost two hours of just chatting and joking, it’s finally time to present the birthday girl with her presents. Iris gives her some new clothes (no dresses or skirts, thankfully…), while Gladio gives her a training sword (much as Prompto wishes he hadn’t really…), and Ignis hands her some new songs for her music player. They’re all things she’s very happy with, and they’re all glad, but Prompto feels like they’re not as important as they had once been. Because as much as he hates to admit it, his little girl is growing up, and he’s well aware that there’ll be a day where he has to let her go… but he’s never imagined it would be coming so soon…

Then again, time flies when you’re having fun, huh?

Libri gives her present then, and Regina doesn’t look surprised when she unwraps it to reveal a history book. In fact, she’s laughing and saying she’s not the least bit surprised, but she looks happy and gives her friend a quick hug around the shoulders along with her thanks, and Libri merely adjusts her glasses and says she’s welcome.

Ternio passes her present by tossing it over, and Regina catches it easily with a small half-laugh. When she opens it, she pulls out a watch of some kind, and after a bit of fiddling with its features, she laughs and says something about it being one of those watches you use to time yourself running, before she secures it around her left wrist. Ternio doesn’t get a hug; she gets a high-five, which isn’t anything new.

Then it’s Dominatio’s turn, and he hands Regina a small present, even smaller than Terry’s. Regina doesn’t seem to care about its size, but Prompto can tell from how Domi is wringing his fingers in the fabric of his skirt that it definitely bothers _him_ as she tries to get the tape to come off so she can open it properly. It takes a minute or two, but finally, the wrapping falls away and Regina lifts up a thin silver chain, with a gorgeous silver charm hanging from it. It looks like a small spiral circling around an orb of pure deep amethyst. It’s a simple enough trinket, but it’s definitely pretty, and he can tell Regina likes it from the twinkle in her eyes as she regards it. She smiles and she thanks Domi sincerely before she abruptly pulls him in for a full hug. Not a half-one like with Libby, but a full on hug.

Domi yelps in surprise, startled, before he returns the hug, for as long as it lasts. Regina immediately unclips the clasp and then reaches around her neck to secure the necklace around her neck. This seems to help Domi’s anxiety as well, and Prompto allows a small smile. He recognizes the symptoms that Domi is displaying; has seen them too often in the mirror all those years ago to know exactly what is going on with the boy.

And he was fine with that, really. Iris has once said that when Regina would get old enough to date, Prompto would be fighting off men trying to woo her because he’d think they weren’t good enough for his little girl… but he believes Domi isn’t a bad guy, and if he can make Regina happy, who’s he to complain and try to break it up?

Gladio’s asking suddenly if it’s time to eat yet, since he’s getting hungry and it makes Iris slap him on the shoulder playfully while the others laugh. Once Ignis has toned down his chuckles, however, he says simply: “We’ll start once _everyone_ has given their presents, Gladio.”

While Gladio looks at Iggy funny, Domi gives a small sound of realization. “He’s right; Mister—I mean… Prompto hasn’t given his present yet!”

In any other situation, he’d be happy that Domi had managed to correct himself and actually called him by name (finally), but as things stand now, he’s a little more annoyed than anything. Now it isn’t that he’d purposefully kept his present for last; it’s just that his old anxieties have been coming back to bite him in the ass, making him far more nervous than he likely needs to be. And sure, he knows Regina will accept the present no matter what it is, but there’s just something about all of this that worries him greatly.

Still, he merely smiles as he pulls out the present he had set aside for her, and he passes it to her as calmly as he can manage. She looks excited either way and Regina takes extra care when unwrapping her last present. Everyone else seems just as curious about the item, which only makes him feel more and more anxious about what Regina may think of it…

Turns out he had nothing to worry about. When she’s removed all the wrapping and figures out exactly what it is she’s looking at, she’s smiling brightly and she immediately gets up, walks up to him and hugs him in thanks, and he laughs and returns the embrace, trying to ignore how his heart is still trying to calm itself down.

Her friends are asking what she got when she finally walks back while opening the box. She doesn’t answer, but she doesn’t have to as she pulls out the camera from the box and flips it on, starting to play with the functions for a moment or two. Then she suddenly takes a picture of Domi, who’d been very vocally curious about the camera the whole time, and he gives a sound that’s almost like a squeal that has everyone laughing at the sound and it makes him pout slightly before Regina pats him on the shoulder with a small apology (ruined by how she’s still smiling and half-chuckling).

Once she’s sure she has everything figured out and Prompto has moved over to give her some tips about the lighting and whatnot, she declares she wants her first ‘professional’ shot to be one of everyone together. Of course, no one objects, but it does take a bit of rearranging.

It’s worth it, however, and once the photo’s been taken, Ignis finally agrees that it’s time for lunch.

 

The ‘party’ continues until late into the night… and it’s nothing like what Prompto or Iris could have predicted.

Regina and her friends spent most of the day playing video games and once they got bored of _that_ they moved on to card games as they talked about everything they’ve been doing recently while the others weren’t around. For example, Terry’d attempted to run from Lestallum to Old Lestallum, but had to call it off when she failed to reach it before nightfall, and Libby had tried to locate some old books from Tenebrae, only for them to end up being fakes and not holding anything regarding the subject she’d been looking for. Domi, in the meanwhile, said he’d been trying to find a good angle to draw the Disc of Cauthess, but he hadn’t been successful yet, and Regina said she’d been helping raise a Black Chocochick back at the Chocobo Post, which had Prompto chuckling softly at the reminder.

But now the night has fallen and the group of girls (well… 3 girls and 1 boy, really…) is preparing to go to bed. The sleepover was a definite given, and Prompto’s made the necessary preparations already, so all they have to do is get changed. Gladio, Iris and Ignis have already left, despite Iris saying it’d be better if she staid, in case of. However, given what he’s seen of the small group thus far, Prompto’s fairly sure he doesn’t need the help.

“Dad?”

Prompto hums as he looks up from where he’s putting away the dishes. Regina’s already in her sleepwear; thigh-length shorts and one of his old shirts.  “What’s wrong, Regina?”

“Nothing’s wrong. Just… do we have a tray somewhere? Otherwise I’ll have to make two trips with the drinks…”

He laughs softy. “Don’t think so… but if you help me put all of these away, I’ll help you with the drinks. Sounds good?”

“Great! Thanks!” she says as she walks over and starts putting away the cutlery in the drawers.

As they work, though, Prompto’s attention is then drawn to Regina’s right hand… the one that’s still covered by a fingerless leather glove clipped shut around her wrist.

“You haven’t shown them yet?”

Regina looks up curiously, about to ask what he means given from her expression, but then she notices where his eyes are drawn. “…No,” she admits then.

That doesn’t surprise him; it isn’t something one goes around showing off to everyone they meet, of course. But at the same time, he doesn’t want her to keep walking around with the same kind of secret he’s had to for so long. Which makes him say what he says next.

“Do you trust them?”

“Huh? Why are you asking me that?”

“Because it’s important. More so than you think.” He smiles at her as he says: “If you trust them, then you have to have faith that they won’t judge you because of some silly lines.” She seems unsure, so he puts the plates down and walks up to her, hugging her around her shoulders. “Don’t worry, princess. I know what it’s like; to be afraid of what people think of you to the point where you just clamp up. But believe me, once you get it off your chest, you’ll feel _so_ much better. Okay?”

“…Yeah, okay… thanks, Dad.”

He smiles as she turns and hugs him properly, returning it gently as he murmurs: “Anytime, sweetie.”

They finish quickly, and then go up with the four drinks; mineral water for Terry, ice tea for Libby, strawberry lemonade for Domi and orange soda for Regina herself. Prompto smiles at each of his daughter’s friends in turn as they thank him for the hospitality, before they all bid each other goodnight.

Unlike Iris’ earliest predictions, the girls are not up until way past their usual bedtime, and, in fact, by the time Prompto goes up to check on them, they’re all sleeping peacefully, and while he knows it’s an invasion of their privacy, he can’t help himself and he takes the shot in the dim lighting from the hall. Regina is half in and half out of her sleeping bag, her right hand half hidden under her pillow and her left hand tucked under her shirt, making it rise up a bit. Dominatio is in the one by her feet, but he appears to have rolled over a few times until he’s almost in her lap, curled up into half a fetal position. Libri is flat on her back next to the bed, her glasses on the nightstand and one hand on her stomach, with the other under her pillow. Ternio is flat on her stomach with her arms under her pillow, and she’s making some sort of humming sound from her throat, like a makeshift snoring, only less annoying or disturbing.

Prompto smiles as he quietly closes the door, before he walks to his own room, breathing out softly.

He knew it was coming… _had_ known it was coming for a long time… but good god had it come fast…

Sometimes it feels like only yesterday when he found an abandoned infant at the edge of the Crown City, alone and afraid, and small enough that he could hold her in two hands. And now… he almost laughs out loud. Regina is almost as tall as he is now. There’s a high chance she won’t get much taller, but yeah, there’s no way he can even begin to think of holding her the way he once had.

And, in the back of his mind, that’s a little depressing to Prompto…

He knows nothing lasts forever, of course, but it still hurts to know his little girl is growing up… and growing away from him.

Prompto takes a breath as he lays himself down on the bed and then brings up his camera to check the picture he just took. He finds himself smiling, despite the heaviness of his chest.

Because sure, the fact that his daughter is growing up hurts… but he can handle it, knowing she’s got such good friends on her side.


End file.
